The Beginning of Lexa

14

Everything slowed. The world around her became muted. All Lexa could see was her 'gift'.

Her hands held onto dark curls, which in turn clung to a head. The head barely looked human. The skin is beaten till its blue and black, several gashes litter across her face. The eyes are swollen and the lips were split. But Lexa could only focus on one thing. A star shaped tattoo behind the earlobe. 

She knew one person who has that tattoo. At that specific spot.

"GUARDS, ARREST HER." 

The world slowly came in tune and Lexa raised her head watching her own guards positioned at the door move forward at Titus' command. Every eye landed on Lexa then. Including a smirking Nia. Lexa stared at Nia for a moment, her brain sluggish.

"Hod op!" She commanded and the guards stop moving.

"Heda! She killed your love, Costia. You cannot let her go unpunished." Titus spun on his heels and stared at Lexa. Costia must've dug her way into his skin too. 

"No." The words left Lexa's mouth, her face hardening and Titus stepped back. He knew Lexa has fallen back into her stoic commander mode. What she thinks now is enhanced by the flame he placed in her neck. What she does now is what's good for their people. Emerald eyes focuses on icy blue ones. Lexa watched as the smirk falls from Nia's face. 

"No, Azgeda has been accepted into the coalition. As stated in the terms of the coalition, all sins and mistakes made has been forgiven when we shared our blood." The commander's voice travelled easily through the great halls. Every warrior, every clan leader, every resident, stood up straighter than before. Their eyes glazed with admiration and respect. "The sins of Queen Nia has been forgiven." Lexa spoke again, her soul digging its way deeper into her chest, away from the pain she feels. 

The people looked up at their commander, all of them were thinking the same thing. Lexa is going to be the revolution. 

Nia's face seems to be wiped dry of any joy and her face hardened, settling back into its usual from. She spun on her heels and stalked out of the room. The rest of the people following her out, but not before giving Lexa a nod of respect.

As the last of her people left the room, Titus walked up to her. "Heda..."

"She seeks to ruin the coalition I have built. She did all of this, trying to force me to break the rules of my own coalition. She was trying to cause my coalition to collapse as the clan leaders will never support a commander who does not keep her word. And I refuse to do that Titus." Lexa met the hard brown eyes of her teacher. "She would not want that." Lexa swallows thickly

"I'm sorry teacher."

At this, the bald man lifted his head. "What are you sorry for?"

The brunette gently places the head of her loved one into the bag, promising to build her a pyre later to free her soul. "I did not listen to your teachings. If I had, all of this could have been avoided. Love is weakness, and because of me, a woman with a bright future ahead of her lost her life." The brunette turned towards the door, her body numbing from the pain she refuse to acknowledge. "I promise you, it will never happen again. I will never make such a mistake again." 

Lexa lets her feet carry her out of the door, out of the tower, out of the city. She enters the woods, a couple of guards trailing behind her quietly. She gathers branches, and sticks piling them neatly in the middle of a clearing. She places the bag gently on the ground and gently picked up her lover's severed head. 

"Yu gonplei stei odon." She whispered under her breath. She could no longer hold back her tears so she just lets them roll down her face.

"I love you Costia kom trikru. Thank you for the joy you brought into my life. I am so sorry." she sniffs and places her head onto the pyre.

The pyre lit up easily, flecks of ashes filling the air. As she watches the ashes float away from her, Lexa could feel a piece of her heart leaving her body too. 

I promise I'll do better Costia. Lexa swore. This will never happen again. Not if I can help it.

On the Ark

Guards slammed open the doors of sleeping prisoners. "Prisoner 289, face the wall, hands behind your back."

Shouts of similar commands echoes through the skybox. Teenagers, ages 15-17, are herded down the corridors of the sleeping Ark, silently assembled in a ship where they were buckled into a seat. A couple of soldiers moved down the seats to attach a metal bracelet to the wrists of the prisoners, ignoring the series of questions directed to them. 

"Prisoner 319, face the wall, hands behind your back." A couple of soldiers entered the blonde's prison cell where she was bent over sketching an image of her dream. It was of her and her father on the ground surrounded by trees. 

Clarke stood up and calmly faced the wall. They can't hurt you. You are not 18 yet. They are just inspecting your room.  The blue eyed girl took a deep breath to calm her beating heart.

"What is this?" 

"Quiet. Hold out your right arm." Clarke turned at the sound of metal chains and suddenly she couldn't breathe. They are going to float her.

"No, no it's not my time. I don't turn 18 for another month. Check my file!" The guard ignores her and moved towards her with the metal cuff. 

"Hold out your right arm." His eye catches the brown leather around the blonde's wrist. "The watch." He states and another guard moves forward to remove the leather from Clarke's wrist.

"No, it was my father's!" she plead.

"Take it off." The guard grabbed her arm.

"No!" Clarke's vision turns white as she panics. She can't lose the last possession she has of her father. She punches the guard and swings at the ones behind her, ducking to escape her cell. She push the door shut, locking the guards in her cell. Her eyes fleet over the prisoners being led out of their cell. What the hell is happening?

A buzz sounded to her left and she turns to see the door to the cell next to hers swing open. 

"HEY! Prisoner 319!" A guard yelled out and she turned to run. 

"Clarke, stop!" A familiar voice float over to her and she stops, turning to the one person she trusts. The only one left. 

Abby rushed over to the blonde girl and pulled her child into her arms.

"Mum? Mum? What's going on? What is this?" Clarke cries into her mother's shoulder, fear consume her body and her pupils dilated with fear. "They're killing us all aren't they? Reducing population to make more time for the rest of you." Clarke watches the guards leave as her mother straightens her. 

"Clarke, you are not being executed." Abby's voice is firm, and Clarke tunes into her mother's voice."You're being sent to the ground. All 100 of you."

Clarke's eyes widened. "What?" Her mind throws her back to the kids she has been taking earth skills class with for the past few months. "But it's not safe. No, no. We get reviewed at 18." Fear erupted through her body again as she recalls the radioactivity of the ground.

"The rules have changed. This gives you a chance to live." Abby's eyes glisten with unshed tears as she tries to comfort her only daughter. "Your instincts will tell you to take care of everybody else first, just like your father. But be careful. I can't lose you too. I love you so much." She rubs her daughter's cheeks, a signal to the guard behind her.

A shot rang out and she felt a something pierce into her shoulder. Her limbs became too heavy to lift, her entire body went numb. 

Clarke struggled to keep her eyes open and she was successful for a few seconds.  "I love you Clarke." was the last thing she hears before she falls into the darkness awaiting her with open arms.